Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 achievement and trophy guide

Multiplayer getting you down? Get every achievement or trophy offline with our complete guide

It is entirely possible that you’ve already poured tens of hours into MW3’s multiplayer and have 0g or no trophies to show for it. That’s because Infinity Ward has once again decided to make all achievements attainable without ever hooking your console up to the internet. So we went off the grid for a few days to unlock them all, and created this guide in the process.

It should go without saying that many of the mission-specific challenges are easier to complete on lower difficulty levels. Good luck!

50/50

20G/Bronze

Complete a Special Ops Mission Mode game with the same number of kills as your partner.

All this takes is a bit of coordination with your partner. That being said, maybe you should go for this with a friend and not some random over the internet... Try the first mission, “Stay Sharp,” as there are no actual enemies, only targets. You could also do this alone on split screen with two controllers. We won’t judge you.

Arms Dealer

20G/Bronze

Buy all items from the Survival Weapon Armory.

Simply buy all items from the weapon armory at least once over as many playthroughs as you wish. This includes the pistol you start with as well as every attachment (not for each gun, just buy them all at least once). You’ll need to be at level 50 before every item is unlocked.

Back in the Fight

5G/Bronze

Start the Single Player Campaign on any difficulty.

Some players have been playing Modern Warfare for tens of hours and are still without this achievement. For an easy 5g, just fire up campaign.

Back Seat Driver

10G/Bronze

Track down Volk. Complete “Bag and Drag” on any difficulty.

Birdie

20G/Bronze

Kill 2 enemy helicopters without getting hit in a Special Ops Survival game.

Wave six is when the choppers come. Buy a Predator, and if you’re at or above level 27, an RPG. You can use the Predator from the safety of cover, then finish things off with the RPG. Without an RPG, you can use an assault rifle - just peek out of cover after the helicopter fires each volley.

Brag Rags

10G/Bronze

Earn 1 star in Special Ops Mission Mode.

No skill required. Just complete an easy spec ops mission such as “Stay Sharp” without accidentally murdering your commanding officer at the end. Hint: he’s the smug jerk that’s standing in the middle of a live firing range.

Carpe Diem

Bad First Date

10G/Bronze

Find the girl. Complete “Scorched Earth” on any difficulty.

Danger Close

20G/Bronze

Take down a chopper with an AC-130 smoke grenade in “Bag and Drag.”

As soon after you have access to the AC-130 smoke grenades, a Russian chopper will drop off some troops. This is your chance to chuck one of those grenades directly under it. Do so as soon as the chopper stops moving, because it won’t stay for long.

Danger Zone

20G/Bronze

Buy all items from the Survival Air Support Armory.

Simply buy all items from the air support armory at least once over as many playthroughs as you wish. This includes each of the perks. You’ll need to be at level 50 before everything is unlocked.

Defense Spending

20G/Bronze

Buy all items from the Survival Equipment Armory.

Simply buy all items from the air equipment armory at least once over as many playthroughs as you wish. You’ll need to be at level 37 before everything is unlocked.

Diamond in the Rough

10G/Bronze

Rescue the Russian President. Complete “Down the Rabbit Hole” on any difficulty.

Flight Attendant (Secret)

20G/Bronze

Kill all 5 enemies during the zero-g sequence in “Turbulence.”

When you enter the cabin with two friendlies behind cover and a staircase leading down, the plane will go into two separate dives. Make sure not to take out the enemy on the left until the sequence begins. You have to be quick here and willing to spray a few bullets if you can’t move fast enough while ADS. Fortunately, restarting the last checkpoint puts you just seconds before this scenario.

For Whom the Shell Tolls

20G/Bronze

Destroy all targets during the mortar sequence with only 4 shells in “Back on the Grid.”

This can get a bit tricky. The first target is a truck on the right. Wait for it to stop, then aim a shell between the truck and the shed so that you take out some of the shed and the truck with the same shell. The next two targets are trucks coming in from the left. With perfect timing you can take them both out with a single shell, though this isn’t necessary. Again, wait for them to stop if you want to destroy them individually. The last target is the group of foot soldiers that come in from the right.

Wait for them to stop moving and try to take them all out with one shell. It will be easier if you destroyed part of the shed with your first shell, and easier still if you took out the two trucks from the left with a single shell, because you’ll then have two chances to kill all of the men.

Frequent Flyer

10G/Bronze

Defend the Russian President. Complete “Turbulence” on any difficulty.

Get Rich or Die Trying

25G/Silver

Have $50,000 current balance in a Special Ops Survival game.

A fantastic way to do this is to play with another person. Once you have $50,000 between you, go to an armory and give the all the money to one player, then have that player give it to the other. You’ll both get the achievement having individually earned only half of the required amount.

I Live

10G/Bronze

Survive 1 wave in a Special Ops Survival game.

Very easy. If you’re having trouble, use your pistol to kill the first enemy you see, then pick up his weapon to finish off the wave.

Informant

Jack the Ripper

The only challenge here is remembering. You can knife the first five enemies you see in the very first campaign mission to knock this out early.

Kill Box

20G/Bronze

Kill 20 enemies with the Chopper Gunner in a single run in “Return to Sender.”

This can be done on the very first run. Make sure to only go after the enemies at which you have a clear shot, and not those who are behind buildings. Also, avoid taking out both technicals; this will end the run prematurely.